The present invention relates to an optical scanning system and more particularly to a time division multiplex scanning system.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,177 an optical mark sensing system is disclosed which is particularly well suited for the identification of railroad cars as well as other types of moving vehicles. The commercial embodiment of the disclosure of the patent comprises the Automatic Car Identification System adapted by the American Association of Railroads to read coded labels which are attached to the sides of virtually every railroad car in use in the United States. In practice, a scanner is associated with a particular length of track to obtain information relating to each car passing on the track. In many cases, two tracks extend closely adjacent to each other as in a train yard or other similar location.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a multiplexing optical system capable of obtaining object information from objects located at two locations and to enable processing of the information with a substantially reduced number of components than heretofore possible and hence reduce cost.